Two over Camp Pendleton EOD unit fired, safety upgrade ordered

Marine deaths investigated

An investigation into the deaths of four Marine bomb technicians training at Camp Pendleton last fall pointed to unsafe handling of munitions, inadequate planning and poor tactical oversight by officers leading their unit. Two of those officers have been removed from command, according to results released Thursday.

The exact cause of the Nov. 13 explosion during a range sweep for unexploded ordnance in the base’s Zulu impact area could not be determined because the only ones who saw it died, according to Marine officials and a copy of the investigation report. U-T San Diego obtained the document through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The most probable explanation was a “dropped, kicked or bumped” 40mm grenade round that detonated explosives in a demolition dump site and ordnance placed nearby for disposal, investigators said.

How the round went astray is unclear. Investigators found that no horseplay, misconduct or criminal behavior took place. But witnesses reported that explosive ordnance disposal personnel transferred ordnance “hand-to-hand” at the accident site, instead of using the safer practice of one person setting rounds directly on the ground.

While not banned, hand-to-hand transfer of such munitions “is a high-risk practice which should be avoided,” the investigating officer determined.

The investigation also concluded that the Marine Corps Base Explosive Ordnance Disposal section was insufficiently prepared for the range sweep because it had not completed a thorough range clearance checklist as recommended. The section also underestimated the magnitude of the operation and number of rounds present.

The accident happened on the second of what was to be a four-day operation giving explosive-ordnance-disposal Marines a chance to practice clearing unexploded munitions, a mission required for their jobs but one that is normally performed at Camp Pendleton ranges by contractors.

Marine officials estimate that anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 rounds were in the area, making it riskier than the moderate operation that supervisors had planned. On the second day, the group of 53 Marines on site encountered about 3,000 rounds before training was halted by the deadly blast.

Brig. Gen. John Bullard, commanding general of Marine Corps Installations West, overruled the investigators’ finding that the officer and staff noncommissioned officer in charge “provided proper tactical supervision.” Bullard removed the captain and master sergeant from their positions — an outcome that will likely end their military careers after their current contracts end.

They were not identified Thursday.

Bullard also said hand-to-hand transfers can be necessary and safe in some cases, for instance with larger munitions located in a deep pit. But the EOD "community norm" is to avoid such transfers to minimize risk working with explosives, so that “when you pick it up, you put it down. It’s not a hot potato.”

Bullard has ordered an immediate review and revision of existing policies for explosive-ordnance-disposal training at West Coast Marine installations, so that they will include stricter risk-mitigation procedures and training.